CCI puts kibosh on controversial six strikes anti-piracy program

When the CCI was operational, service provider partners like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast would send copyright infringement notices to consumers.

The Center for Copyright Information (CCI) has shut down its Copyright Alert System, a joint program operated by the entertainment industry and large broadband providers aimed at battling content piracy.

CCI did not specify why it should down the program, other than to say in a statement that the “the parties remain committed to voluntary and cooperative efforts to address these issues.”

When the CCI was operational, service provider partners like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast would send copyright infringement notices to consumers. These service providers also offered "mitigation measures" for repeat offenders.

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Broadband customers that violated piracy rules saw their internet connections throttled or being locked in a click-through walled garden until they acknowledged their mistake and received piracy "education materials."

"The program demonstrated that real progress is possible when content creators, internet innovators and consumer advocates come together in a collaborative and consensus-driven process," CCI said. "CAS succeeded in educating many people about the availability of legal content, as well as about issues associated with online infringement."

For all the success that the CCI claimed to have with its program, it was nothing short of a controversial issue for consumers and even service providers. Consumers that were accused of piracy were required to pay $35 fee to defend themselves, for example.

And in June 2016, Windstream asked a New York federal court to shield the company from broad piracy accusations. At that time, Windstream, according to a TorrentFreak report, filed a complaint for declaratory judgment against BMG and its anti-piracy partner Rightscorp. BMG, meanwhile, had accused Windstream and its broadband subscribers of various copyright infringements.

CCI has not indicated whether they will replace the six strikes program with a similar one.